There’s chocolate and then there’s … chocolate. Case in point, Salt Rock Chocolate Co., based out of Chilmark, has earned a dedicated — even obsessed — following since its launch in 2020. The handmade chocolates can only be found at the Farmers Market on Wednesdays and Saturdays and you had better get there early if you want to score a pound (or two or three) of the delectable chocolates which come in both traditional and some unique variations.
The premium chocolate company aims to produce a quality product while also maintaining as small an environmental footprint as possible. The co-owners, sisters Ali and Sarah Flanders, source local ingredients when possible and strive to keep waste production to a minimum.
Among the local or regional suppliers that the sisters draw from are Chilmark Coffee Company (for the Chilmark Coffee Crunch); Ghost Island Farm (for Great Rock Bite with hot pepper lantern spice); Salterione Sea Salt, a women-owned business based in Duxbury; and Curio Spice of Cambridge, whose unique blend of florals and exotics lends an interesting twist to Salt Rock’s white chocolate Chilmark Fleur.
Salt Rock Chocolate Co. was launched in 2020 when the Flanders sisters, who along with much of the community, were mourning the loss of the beloved Chilmark Chocolates, which closed its doors at the end of 2019. Ali and Sarah had both worked for the renowned chocolatier, which was located next door to the tiny cottage they shared with their mother, Joy. After exploring other individual career options off-Island, the two sisters returned to Chilmark where they had grown up and decided to join forces to establish their own small business. The sisters have replicated some of their predecessor’s classic recipes such as the ABC (Almond Butter Crunch) and chocolate dipped cranberries, while adding their own twist with some unique options, like the aforementioned Chilmark Fleur with crystalized ginger and notes of Hibiscus, pink pepper, anise, fennel, rose petals, coriander, spearmint, cardamom lavender, and ylang ylang.
As they write on their website, “Our chocolates are influenced by the colors and tastes of the island we grew up on. We love the process of hand-making each chocolate and are excited to share it with you!”
